Little Moments
by Marcipie
Summary: It's in those precious little moments that remind Blythe how much she loves the Littlest Pet Shop pets. R


**Little Moments  
by Marcipie  
a Littlest Pet Shop short story tribute**

_**Disclaimer: I do not, nor do I ever, own Littlest Pet Shop or any of its characters.  
**_**  
xx**

It was nearing midnight in Downtown City when a low rumble came echoing across the sky, signaling the beginnings of a storm. The gloomy clouds gathered ominously above the buildings as a flash of lightning tore through the heavens and lit up the streets below. It took no more than a couple of seconds before the rain began, starting as a fine mist that quickly turned into a heavy shower.

As the steady torrent of water fell from the sky, casually getting thicker and thicker, another booming sound shook the windows of the buildings before the racket finally alerted a certain slumbering mongoose. With a startled squeal, Sunil's eyes flashed open and darted to the window in complete horror. The frightened pet wasted no time and scrambled to the safe underbelly of the nearby couch, easily slipping into the small opening. Feeling slightly more protected under the furniture, he clenched his eyes shut and tried to take in a deep calming breath. Shivers wracked his little body and he curled tightly within himself. Rain splattered rather harshly against the glass and a bolt of lightning suddenly lit up the night sky and illuminated the room around him menacingly, looking very much like a scene from a scary movie.

"It could n – not have waited until m – morning?" Sunil murmured to himself shakily and a bit of annoyance colored his tone as he crawled further underneath the couch, keeping his head low and ears back, until his spine thumped against the wall. The cool chill from the hard surface behind him calmed his nerves somewhat and he almost entertained the thought of going back to sleep until a sound not unlike an explosion in the sky destroyed any hope he had of doing so. Sunil let out a high-pitched shriek and nearly gave himself a concussion when he impulsively recoiled from the noise and cracked his head against the wall. He instinctively flinched and hissed through his teeth.

A groan of pain fell from in between his clenched jaw. The sharp sting of his skull pounded harshly as tears gathered in the corner of his eyes. Rounded blue ears flattened miserably as the mongoose gently ran a paw over the throbbing welt forming behind his head.

"Oh, if only my owners didn't like me waking them up so late at night!" Sunil whimpered, his voice muffled as he slumped further into the carpet. The pet cast a troubled glance toward the familiar closed doors of the Nevla family's respective rooms and heaved a sigh. Heavy snores could be heard faintly through one of the doors despite the volume of the storm raging outside.

Of course, it was more of _what_ he was scared of that truly determined whether or not they would allow him to sleep in their bed or impatiently shoo him back out into the hallway and slam the door shut behind him. He weighed his options. Being scared of a storm he could probably get away with. Past experiences told him they didn't much appreciate or even understand his other peculiar assortment of fears – like anything with more legs than he had, avocados, curtains, or quiet jazz music.

That last one baffled even him sometimes. It was just so…quiet and ominous.

Despite the fact he knew they loved him, there was only so much they could handle when dealing with his anxieties. The little mongoose briefly considered staying under the couch the rest of the night. But then the thought of being alone during a nasty storm made his stomach twist itself into a knot.

Almost instantly, an image of Blythe's smiling face appeared in his mind and he blinked, momentarily stunned. She was in the very top floor of the building but at least close by. He couldn't very well go and disturb her though, could he? Sure, she loved to help them when she could, but to go as far as seeking her out for something as trivial as being scared of a thunderstorm? As he thought about what to do, the storm seemed to make his mind up for him by throwing out several bolts of lightning followed by a roar of thunder. Sunil squealed at the abrupt noise and he scurried backwards away from the window. Taking in deep breaths, he forced himself to not think about the fact she might not want him there.

"Maybe Blythe would not mind having a visitor." Sunil quickly told himself in a panicked tone even as a twinge of uncertainty clouded his thoughts.

With a plan in mind, he began to crawl out from under the furniture. He managed to knick the aching bump on his head a few times, causing him to wince and grit his teeth, before he cautiously slipped out from under the sofa and peeked around, nervously eyeing the dancing shadows all over the place. As soon as he took a step he instantly hunched over and covered his face when a particularly loud rumble from the sky shook the window pane. Sunil's breath hitched. His ears twitched as they picked up the howling wind outside and he gulped.

"T–this is going to be h–harder than I thought." Sunil murmured.

**xx**

"Pssst! Blythe!"

The young fashion designer merely hummed in her sleep from the soft whisper of her name, curling deeper into her pillows and comforter.

"_PSSSST_! Please, Blythe! _Wake up_!" The voice hissed again. There was a few hesitant pokes to her forehead and she furrowed her brow as a groan worked its way up her throat. She lazily waved her hand about to discourage the prodding nuisance and didn't pay much attention to the fearful whine that echoed back at her. She was still stuck in that wonderful dream-like state of being half awake and half asleep and she was reluctant to leave it.

Sunil swallowed thickly as he uneasily eyed her dark bedroom before turning back to face the slumbering girl, jabbing at her and shaking her shoulder several more times. His heart was pounding loudly in his ears and he was going to lose his nerve if she didn't wake up. His ears twitched nervously as he heard approaching thunder and he began to panic. Growing desperate, he promptly threw his head back, drew in a deep breath, and screamed, "_BLYYYYTHE!_"

"_AAAHHH!_" Blythe bolted straight up from her pillows as a scream tore its way out of her, a startled expression on her face. Her wide blue eyes darted about her room quickly before she noticed the small figure huddled on the comforter beside her. She rubbed the sleep out of her eyes and squinted. She recognized the dimly-lit silhouette instantly and she sighed in relief, glad it was only one of the pets and not some burglar.

"Oh, Sunil, it's just you. W – What are you doing in my room?" Her voice was a bit scratchy from her unexpected scream and she winced, clearing her throat. She looked around her dimly lit room questioningly and blinked in confusion when she realized it was only Sunil that had paid her a visit. Blythe turned back to the mongoose as a thought occurred to her. "Wait, _how_ did you get in my room?"

"I found a – another way into the up-and-down box t – thing." Sunil clarified shakily and pointed in the general direction he knew the elevator in her wall to be without looking away from her. Blythe held his gaze for a second or two before she let her eyes travel to the wall and her eyebrows rose until they nearly vanished into her bangs. The dumbwaiter's door had been hastily thrown open and hung crookedly on its hinges. The inside appeared to have broken splinters of wood and a gaping hole through the top of it.

How had she slept through the racket that must have made?

"Never mind," she mumbled to herself before she snuck a quick peek at her bedside clock and her heart thudded low in her throat. She clutched her head in her palms and sent a panicked look to the pet. "Sunil, it's after midnight! What are you doing here? Do your owners know you're here?" Sunil shrank beneath her gaze and opened his mouth to speak but froze as thunder rumbled ominously in the distance. He turned halfway to face the window just in time to see a brilliant flash that lit up the clouds and struck the ground with a loud crack. He flinched and scooted closer to her side nervously. Blythe raised an eyebrow at him and stared and he began to blush under his fur, looking more than a little embarrassed. He pressed his paw against his mouth and cleared his throat.

"I'm so sorry, Blythe, but I could not go back to sleep because of this storm and my owners don't like me to disturb them at night and I did not want to bother them as they have not been so understanding before but I didn't know whatelse to do and I did_ not_ want to stay under the couch again but I wondering if you would not mind please letting me stay with you for a little while since I don't like the sound of the loud thunder and you have always been very kind to us at the day camp so I thought –"

"O – Okay, okay, shhh, it's okay, I get it," Blythe quickly shushed him and he obeyed. She'd lost him somewhere in the middle and had begun to grow concerned when he didn't appear to be pausing to take a breath during his outburst. Blythe sighed and held a hand to her forehead. "Sunil, you know I would do almost anything for you and the other pets, but… I – I have school in the morning." She began with a regretful tone and fiddled with her comforter in an uncomfortable manner. "I'm really sorry, but I need sleep and I have this big test in my first class and you know what they say! They early bird gets the…" She trailed off when she saw Sunil had wilted as he looked more and more worried the longer she spoke. The little mongoose took in a deep shuddering breath and shot a fearful glance at the window behind him.

"You would not know I was here!" Sunil blurted helplessly. "I – I will… Uh…" His eyes suddenly grew wide and his ears fell back in his panic and Blythe winced when thunder rumbled outside her window. He opened his mouth to plead with her but snapped it shut once he realized what he was doing. Sunil fidgeted with his paws nervously and bowed his head.

"I'm very s – sorry for disturbing you, B – Blythe." Sunil told her firmly and quickly twisted his head around to stare at the window. He visibly gulped but he tried to put on a brave face when he turned back around and only managed to look like he'd just swallowed a lemon instead. "I will let you get back to sleep." He muttered and Blythe felt her heart breaking when the mongoose simply turned and jumped off her bed.

She was torn. On one hand, Blythe knew Sunil would return home and would be okay until his owners woke up to take him to Littlest Pet Shop. And by then the storm would have stopped and he would be surrounded by the other pets and their comforting presence. But on the other hand, she also knew he wouldn't have come to her in the middle of the night unless he was really desperate and scared. And here she was turning him away because she wanted a few more hours of sleep.

Blythe clenched her jaw. School was important but Sunil needed her more right now. She would just have to suck it up and be okay with the amount of sleep she had.

"Sunil, wait." The mongoose paused below the dumbwaiter, hesitantly tilting his head to look at her with tear-soaked eyes. "I'm sorry, that was rude of me. Please don't go."

Sunil swallowed and crossed his arms, hunching over himself, as he shook his head. "But… You said yourself you have school in the morning and I didn't even think if it would be inconvenient for you –" He cut off when Blythe firmly shoved the covers aside and stood. She approached him and knelt in front of him.

"I do have school in the morning. But it's going to be very hard to concentrate in class knowing I sent you away when you came to me for help." Blythe smiled at him and held her hand out to him. "Come on, let's see if we can calm you down, huh?" Sunil found himself smiling back at her, feeling more relieved than he cared to admit.

"Okay." His head lowered meekly as he placed his paw in her palm and her fingers gently closed around it. Blythe tugged him forward and gathered the trembling mongoose into her arms before she made her way back to her bed. She pulled her comforter back over her legs and shifted around until she was comfortable. Sunil raised his gaze to hers briefly before he crawled up her pajama shirt until he could wrap his tiny arms around her neck and bury his muzzle into the crease of her shoulder, letting out a big sigh once he settled. Blythe jumped a little when his chilly nose made contact with her warm skin. She didn't even get a moment to process the fact Sunil was clinging to her like a giant teddy bear before a sudden clack of lightning struck the earth that caused him to stiffen in her arms.

Blythe glared irritably at the window. If the storm kept on like it was, she would never get Sunil calmed down and then she'd never get any sleep. She felt a bit of annoyance at his owners as well. She had no idea how they could not comfort a pet as sweet as Sunil when they knew how easily frightened he was. But then again, they weren't exactly able to talk to him and therefore could not understand his quirks on a level like Blythe could. The howling wind outside caught her attention and Sunil whined in a low tone.

"Shhh," Blythe whispered and smoothed his stiff ears back when they rotated toward the window. "Hey, you're okay. Don't worry, try to think about something else, okay?"

Sunil gave a small nod. "I – I will try." The trembling pet stammered.

"That's a good boy." The young girl murmured softly and he hesitated at the warmth in her voice. Blythe's tone had Sunil feeling very much like a young pup needing his mother's comfort again. He felt a lump grow in his throat as a swarm of emotions nearly choked him. But when a rather loud thunderous boom overhead gathered his attention, he jerked in her arms and a frightened wail escaped him. Blythe gently shushed him again and held him tightly as he trembled.

"You're okay," She murmured in what she hoped was a comforting tone and leaned her cheek against the soft fur on his head as she cuddled him against her. Blythe gently ran her fingers through the thick hair on his back and Sunil's ears lowered against his skull at the sensation.

"I'm sorry for intruding on y – you." She heard him mumble against her neck and her hand paused. When she didn't respond, he drew back enough so he could look up at her, his eyes wide. "I – I just didn't know what else to _do_ and –"

"Shhh, Sunil, it's okay." She prayed she wasn't beginning to sound like a broken record. Blythe wracked her brain for something, _anything_, to distract him with. She perked up when an idea came to mind and grinned at him. "So wanna tell me about any new magic tricks you're working on? Surely you've got some, being a great magician and all." Sunil stared at her for several seconds before he exhaled unsteadily after a pause. He closed his eyes and pressed his forehead against her shoulder blade, a small smile on his face.

"Y – Yes, actually…"

**xx**

It wasn't until hours later when storm finally began to ease up that Sunil had relaxed enough that he almost dozed off, Blythe not too far behind him. Sunil had managed to explain nearly every single magic trick he wanted to learn or was in the process of mastering. Blythe was both surprised and impressed he was learning so many and had told him so. He had bowed his head and hid his face against her shoulder with a shy smile, embarrassed but pleased by her praise.

But then again, to a mongoose who was psychic, could teleport, and had the ability to hypnotize, it wasn't too hard to believe what else he could accomplish.

Sunil became aware of how sluggish his body was beginning to feel as his lack of sleep caught up with him. He lay stretched out across her, his chin nestled against the curve of her neck, and her arms were looped loosely over him. Blythe was so warm and her familiar scent calmed his senses into an almost euphoric haze. The mongoose was beginning to forget there had ever been a storm as he inhaled through his nose and sighed in content, causing Blythe's eyes to open and drift lazily to him.

"Sunil?" He started slightly at the soft sound of her voice and instead of properly answering her, he merely hummed in response and twitched his ear in her direction. There was a moment of silence before the feeling of her hand hesitantly sliding over his head and down his back caught his attention. Sunil forced open one golden-hued eye and glanced up at her curiously. Blythe's hand stopped and rested against his back.

"Sorry, I thought you were asleep." She looked away and muttered, "I never get the chance to just enjoy your company, Sunil. Or any of the pets, really. Not like this." She gently dragged her fingernails down the length of Sunil's spine to emphasize her point and giggled softly when he reflexively arched his back into her hand like a cat. The mongoose cleared his throat before he turned away self-consciously, a bit of a blush creeping up his cheeks as he settled back down.

"Yes, despite the time we do spend with you as a group, we all wish to have you to ourselves once in a while." He murmured and she paused at the wistful tone in his voice. She never much thought about how often she spent with each of the pets alone. She knew she took Zoe a lot of places but the Spaniel pup would either demand, ask to go, or the situation would simply call for Zoe to be there. The rest of them would never ask much and were okay with the time they received, like if she took them on their walks, or a group outing to the park. Or on some crazy adventure through the city. Blythe felt a twinge of guilt stab at her as she took in the saddened expression on Sunil's face.

"You mean like we are now?" Blythe asked softly. Sunil's eyes darted to hers in surprise as if he'd only just realized that fact. He was silent for only a moment, his eyes drifting downward in thought, before he raised his head from her shoulder and beamed back at her.

"Yes, exactly like this." Sunil nodded with a grin. Then, as Blythe smiled brightly in return, the dark circles under her eyes grew more pronounced and he realized he was still being incredibly selfish by remaining there long after the storm was gone. He twisted around to look at the clock on her night stand and noted it was nearly four in the morning now. Sunil sighed miserably and his ears fell. Slowly, he raised up on all fours and stretched his limbs out, before he stepped off of Blythe and onto the mattress.

"I hope you won't be upset at me for keeping you awake all night," Sunil said in a quiet tone, fidgeting with his paws, as he bowed his head. "I really very much appreciate you letting me stay."

Blythe smiled and waved a hand dismissively. "Don't worry about that. I'm glad that you stayed. It gave me a chance to just get to know you a little better." She actually enjoyed just listening to the little mongoose speak. His accent was really very charming. "I don't care what time it is or what it is you need me for, Sunil, I will always help you and the other pets any way that I can." Blythe paused. "Or if I really actually do need sleep, then I may have to take a rain check." Sunil hesitantly smiled back at her before he blinked and his brow furrowed.

"But what if you are busy and we cannot reach you? What if it is something you cannot help us with?"

Blythe blinked. "Well, I'm sure that we could work something out –"

"What if you go back to that fashion school and stay away even longer?" Blythe's heart skipped a beat when his voice cracked and she stared at the mongoose with an expression of remorse. She sighed.

"Sunil, I'm not going back –"

"What if _you_ need help?" Sunil cut in and covered his eyes with his paws with a groan. He mumbled, "Oh I don't want to imagine if we couldn't help you."

She sat up slightly and frowned. "That's not exactly what I –"

"What if you ever came to me with a problem and I could not help? How can I call myself your friend if I cannot even do that?" The mongoose was really living up to the source of his brief internet fame and she watched as he began pacing across her bed. Blythe watched him with a raised eyebrow.

"Sunil, don't be ridiculous –"

"And I don't want to stop being friends because I very much enjoy our walks and going to the park with the others and –" Sunil's voice died in his throat when Blythe, with a roll of her eyes, reached out and cradled the panicking mongoose's face in her hands before firmly pressing her lips against the lighter blue fur on his forehead. Sunil stiffened immediately and his eyes grew wide. Blythe lingered for a few seconds before she drew back enough that she could see his face.

"Sunil, you have absolutely_ nothing_ to worry about. You are never going to lose me as a friend. None of you are. I'm so glad I met you and the other pets because you guys have literally become my best friends. Well, outside of my human friends." She dropped her hands and then teasingly poked his nose. He drew back and blinked rapidly as he wrinkled his snout. "And I know for a fact that if I am _ever_ in trouble that I can always count on you guys to help." Sunil blinked up at her before he let out a shaky sigh.

"Yes, that is very true." He admitted and fiddled with his paws. Blythe then patted his head gently and yawned, stretching, as she glanced at the clock.

"Well, I hate to say it, but if I don't get some sleep soon, I won't be able to function today. And school starts early." Sunil blinked and, looking a bit guilty, he took her hint.

"Oh, of course, yes." The mongoose awkwardly glanced around as if he'd brought anything other than himself and Blythe watched him in amusement. Sunil scratched at his arm and his eyes fell on the dumbwaiter behind him. "Then I will see you at the day camp later?"

Blythe nodded. "Bright and early." She then muttered as she snuck a glance at the clock, "And directly after school." Sunil winced and, shrugging apologetically, hopped off her bed. Blythe waited until he was standing in front of the small window-like opening in her bedroom wall before she called out, "Sunil, even though I don't say it much… You know I love you, right?"

Sunil had been reaching up to the elevator's opening to pull himself up, but when she spoke, he stopped abruptly and his eyebrows rose. He gradually tilted his head to the side to glance at her with an uncertain look on his face. Blythe was leaning over on her comforter, balanced on her hands, gazing at him with a warm smile. Sunil lowered his eyes and furrowed his brow as an indescribable feeling blossomed in his belly and his heart skipped a beat. The entire time he's known her, she's proven that she cares about them. And the fact that she let him stay with her all night just because he was scared and wanted comfort showed how deeply she cared. He raised his gaze to meet hers hesitantly.

"Yes, I do." Sunil mumbled before a shy smile appeared on his face and he added softly, "And I – I love you too." Without a pause, the mongoose then hauled himself into the dumbwaiter's entrance before he tugged the door shut behind him with no single amount of grace, making enough racket to wake up every resident in the nearby apartments as he scurried noisily up the shaft. Blythe winced before she grinned and rolled her eyes as she settled back against her pillows with a sigh.

There were times when she really wanted to quit helping Mrs. Twombly in the pet shop. She had even seriously considered it when swamped with too much homework while she was handing out treats or taking them on their walks. The stress that came with the responsibility of caring for a total of seven pets every day could be a bit overbearing for a young teen in high school. Blythe often felt like a mother dealing with her children and wondered when she would be getting gray hairs. But then there were times, like tonight, that made every single headache worth it in the end.

And it was in those precious little moments that Blythe truly felt complete.

**xx**

**(covers face) Um. You made it to the end.**

_**What do I do now**_**.**

**CONGRATS. I am actually surprised if you're reading this because honestly I JUST KEPT WRITING UNTIL I WAS TIRED OF WRITING and I wasn't expecting anyone to suffer reading this entire thing. I had no stopping point planned. That's why it's a little…lengthy. I really just wanted to see some fluffy-pet-love between these two because Sunil was literally the very reason I got into this show to begin with. And he's my favorite pet to this very day. He's just so **_**precious**_** and since Chez Paris aired, I have become literally obsessed with the very idea of writing a suave and Romeo-like Sunil and trying to romance the girls. But we shall see if I can ever get THAT story mapped out. (coughs)**

**This is in no way meant to be romantic or even a pairing despite how affectionate they are. I just feel that since Sunil is a pet that it was okay for Blythe to act that way towards him. And Blythe loves her pet friends, so why not?**

**I was also thinking that maybe I could turn this into a series of short stories with the running theme of the pets going to Blythe for something or another. But then again, it depends on how well this one does.**

**Thanks very much for reading!**


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